This invention relates to a loudspeaker system for use in such places as the passenger compartment of an automobile or the like.
In present day car stereo systems, the rear channel speaker system is usually placed in the rear deck, while the front channel system is usually disposed in the front doors or adjacent kick panels.
The arrangement of the front speaker system is of utmost importance because front passengers occupy a car much more frequently than rear passengers and the quality of sound distribution by the front speaker system is thus more noticeable. Door and kick panel mounting of spekeers is not believed to provide truly high quality sound, at least partially because the speakers must be quite small due to space limitations.
It has been suggested that a front speaker system be positioned under the front seat with a forwardly directed and upwardly inclined speaker cone. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,962 issued on May 13, 1975 to Warren Ripple. Although a relatively large loudspeaker may be incorporated in such a system to provide deeper bass sounds, the effect is still very directional.
One aspect of the present invention is based on the concept of providing a forwardly facing speaker enclosure which is essentially sealed to the exposed lower corner or edge of the dashboard, together with a rearwardly facing sound reflector mounted under the dashboard and spaced from the speaker enclosure. In another aspect of the invention, the loudspeaker is mounted within the enlarged end of a conical generally bucket-shaped housing, the latter having an insulating lining.